Lyarra Karstark
'''Lyarra Karstak '''is the third born child of Lord Jovarn Karstark and Lady Celesse Karstark (previously Crowl). She is the eldest living sibling to Lady Jemisha Karstark, and as she has no children by her first marriage, the first in the line of sucession of House Karstark. Appearance Lyarra is a tall, lean young woman. Has wide shoulders and wider hips, that she all but hides underneath layers of furs and boiled leather. She isn't particularly strong or muscular like her elder sister, far softer, looking more like a lady than a fighter. Has a dusting of freckles over the bridge of her nose, a square jaw, thin lips and deep-set eyes. Keeps her long brown hair in a braid most of the time. Personality She is, at first sight, a soft-spoken, naïve, sweet young lady. She will titter about with the other ladies, speak in hushed tones about inconsequential things, about the Lords and knights in Karhold and the neighbouring lands, giggle and smile when any of the men around deem fit to pay attention to the younger, unwed sister. In truth, she has been hardened by the time under her elder brother's thumb, and holds a sharp mind and even sharper tongue in lieu of a sword. Everything she sees and everything she hears soon reaches her Lady sister, and she plays the Lord's games where Jemisha's brute strength cannot help. She does, however, holds some of a young lady's flights of fancy: Lyarra has a soft spot for romantic stories, and dreams of having children of her own to fill the halls of Karhold, dreams that have little to do with the practicality of maintaining the Karstark bloodline. History 382 - 389 AC Lyarra is born as the third child and second daughter of Lord Jovarn and Lady Celesse, in Karhold. She grows up by her mother's bedside, listening to her read at first, and soon learning from her how to read as to take the work from her hands, ever so weaker. When Lady Celesse dies, Lyarra realizes that reading was all she could do for her children, and even at age seven has the propriety of mind to seek maester Alex to continue her studies of the letters, leading to a future constant search for knowledge. 392 - 397 AC Lord Jovarn begins teaching all his children how to fight. Lyarra finds a new passion in archery, and begs her father to allow her to go hunting with him as to hone her skill. During this time, she becomes close friends with the kennel master's son, Walton. In 396 AC, as she turns 14 years old, Lyarra is sent off to her future husband's lands, to serve as his mother's lady-in-waiting until she became of age to marry — her fiancé was already 18 at the time, second son to his Lord father. The day she was to leave, Walton gifted her a puppy from the best female hound's latest litter, a pure black dog she named Sable. Eyron, the man she was betrothed to, refused to let her continue with her "unladylike" manners, and forbade her from hunting. Ironically enough, he died not a year afterwards from a festering wound contracted while hunting in the nearby woods. In the same year, Lyarra got news that her father had fallen severely ill, and begged to be sent back home instead of passed on to the third son of the couple, who was barely a toddler at the time. She got her wishes, and at age 15, Lyarra and her Sable returned to Karhold, hoping to stay by her father’s bedside as he worsened, and perchance ask Osric, now the ruling Lord, to allow her this before arranging another match. Instead what happened was that she arrived to a gruesome scene — during the trip Arton had died, apparently murdered by his own squire, who was being hanged in the walls the day Lyarra arrived home. This should have been enough to make her turn back, but she decided to go speak to her Lord brother, and by that point, she had no choice but to stay. Osric showed himself to be a cold-hearted, merciless schemer. He drunkenly admitted to have killed Arton, because he wanted no other to have a claim to the seat, and swore to keep her in captivity until he found “whoever would pay more for a sickly bitch such as you”, in front of the entire hold. No one dared defy him. She had nary a visitor during that time but her childhood friend Walton, now the kennel master after his father’s passing. They grew even closer together, and decided to run away from Karhold, Lyarra willing to abdicate her claim to marry him and live off somewhere else. Unfortunately, Osric caught them escaping, had Walton hanged for treason, and her kept even more tightly secure in her chambers. 398 AC Jemisha returned to Karhold in 398 AC, and Lyarra immediately did everything in her power to tell her sister about their brother’s kinslaying and cruelty. She helped Jemisha find men still loyal to their father, and watched as they had Osric executed with a deep satisfaction for his demise. Lyarra knew her sister didn’t have it in her the desire to lead, nor the political acumen to deal with the petty lords and knights who came to sway her favor, so at 16 years old she put herself firmly by her side, to lend her mind and cunning as a boon to Jemisha’s physical might, and swore to stay by her side no matter what. 400 AC Lyarra is present in King's Landing, representing Karhold in her sister's stead, during the Black Feast and the Council of Lords. She witnesses Lord Brandon Nightstark's declaration of Northern independence, and immediately sets herself to help return North safely. Category:RP Characters